The invention relates to adjustable seat bolsters for use with a motor vehicle.
Typically, vehicle seat assemblies are provided with side bolsters that are not adjustable. More recently, seat assemblies have been developed with side bolsters that provide limited lateral adjustability. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,284 discloses a seat assembly having a bolster and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the support and/or lateral position of the bolster relative to a seat back. The adjustment mechanism includes a positioning member that is positionable between adjacent ribs to form a stop limit.
Under the invention, a vehicle seat assembly includes a seat body having a plurality of receptacles, and a bolster having a first engaging member that is selectively engageable with at least two receptacles such that the bolster is longitudinally adjustable with respect to the seat body. Advantageously, with such a configuration, the bolster may be adjusted to provide optimum support and comfort to various different seat occupants.
Preferably, each of the at least two receptacles has a groove, and the first engaging member includes a retractable element that is selectively engageable with the grooves. The bolster may also be provided with a release mechanism that cooperates with the retractable element to allow the retractable element to retract.
The seat body may include a seat back that includes the plurality of receptacles. Under this embodiment, the bolster is vertically adjustable with respect to the seat back. Furthermore, the plurality of receptacles may include first, second and third receptacles, and the bolster may be provided with a second engaging member that is selectively engageable with the receptacles. With such a configuration, when the bolster is in a first vertical position, the first and second engaging members are respectively engaged with the first and second receptacles. Furthermore, when the bolster is in a second vertical position different than the first vertical position, the first and second engaging members are respectively engaged with the second and third receptacles.
Advantageously, the vehicle seat assembly may be provided with any suitable number of receptacles to achieve a desired adjustability of the bolster. For example, the seat back may include a fourth receptacle for allowing the bolster described above to be adjusted to a third vertical position.
Furthermore, the bolster may include a cushioning member and a pivot mechanism connected between the cushioning member and the first engaging member such that the bolster is laterally adjustable with respect to the seat back.
Further under the invention, a vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back having a frame. The frame has first and second bolster mounting portions, and each bolster mounting portion has first, second and third receptacles. The seat assembly also includes first and second bolsters selectively engageable with the first and second bolster mounting portions, respectively. Each bolster has first and second posts and is longitudinally adjustable with respect to the seat back between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position. When each bolster is in the first longitudinal position, the first and second posts of the first bolster are respectively engaged with the first and second receptacles of the first bolster mounting portion, and the first and second posts of the second bolster are respectively engaged with the first and second receptacles of the second bolster mounting portion. When each bolster is in the second longitudinal position, the first and second posts of the first bolster are respectively engaged with the second and third receptacles of the first bolster mounting portion, and the first and second posts of the second bolster are respectively engaged with the second and third receptacles of the second bolster mounting portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle seat assembly includes a seat body and a bolster connected to the seat body. The bolster includes a cushioning member and a pivot mechanism connected between the cushioning member and the seat body for allowing the cushioning member to pivot with respect to the seat body. The pivot mechanism includes a rack having a first pocket, and a pawl that is engageable with the first pocket so as to position the cushioning member in a first pivotal position relative to the seat body. The seat assembly further includes a release device connected between the seat body and the pawl for disengaging the pawl from the pocket so that the cushioning member may pivot outwardly with respect to the seat body.
Preferably, the release device includes a release lever moveably connected to the seat body, and a cable connected between the release lever and the pawl.
More specifically, a vehicle seat assembly includes a seat body having a seat bottom and a seat back pivotally connected to the seat bottom. A pair of upper bolsters is connected on opposite sides of the seat back. Each bolster includes a bolster body, a support structure connected to the seat body, and a ratcheting mechanism connected between the support structure and the bolster body for allowing the bolster body to pivot with respect to the seat back. Each ratcheting mechanism includes a rack having a plurality of rack teeth, and a pawl that is selectively engageable with the rack teeth such that each ratcheting mechanism provides inward ratcheting pivotal movement of a respective bolster body while locking the respective bolster body against pivotal movement in an outward direction. Each ratcheting mechanism further includes a biasing member for urging a respective bolster body in the outward direction. The seat assembly further includes a release device connected between the seat body and the pawls for disengaging the pawls from the racks so that each bolster body may pivot in the outward direction, thereby allowing the seat back and seat bottom to be folded together.
The seat body may also include a lockable pivot mechanism connected between the seat back and the seat bottom for locking the seat back in a desired pivotal orientation with respect to the seat bottom. Preferably, the release device is also connected to the pivot mechanism and is operable to release the pivot mechanism so that the seat back and seat bottom may be folded together.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.